Mother and Infant Detained at Airport After Repatriation from South Africa, Bail Denied

A Ghanaian mother who returned home from South Africa on a repatriation flight has been locked up with her infant baby — and a court has refused to grant her bail.

Private legal practitioner Oliver Barker-Vormawor broke the news on Facebook Sunday, saying his firm, Merton & Everett LLP, is representing the woman. She was arrested as soon as she landed at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra.

According to Barker-Vormawor, the trouble started before she left Ghana. She had a money dispute with someone, and that person reported her to the police. While she was in South Africa, a court issued a bench warrant for her arrest — but she never knew.

"Apparently, before she left for SA, she had a money dispute with someone who reported her to the Police. In her absence, a bench warrant was issued for her, unknown to her," Barker-Vormawor wrote.

When she arrived at the airport on the repatriation flight, immigration officers detained her. She was then taken before the Dansoman Circuit Court.

"Our application for bail for her was denied. Mother and infant baby remain in cells," the lawyer said.

Barker-Vormawor also expressed concern about her state of mind. "I wonder how she must feel, being now b3ck!" he wrote, using a common Ghanaian online expression.

Details of the money dispute and the specific charges aren't yet public. The lawyer didn't say how much money was involved or what exactly the woman is accused of.

The case has sparked concern on social media, with many Ghanaians questioning how a mother with a baby can be kept in custody over what appears to be a civil matter. Some have asked why the court didn't grant bail, especially given the presence of the infant.

Under Ghanaian law, a bench warrant is issued when a person fails to appear in court as required. But in this case, the woman was out of the country and may not have received any summons.

The Dansoman Circuit Court hasn't issued any public statement on the matter. It's not clear when the next hearing will be or whether the woman's lawyers will file a fresh bail application.

For now, a mother and her baby remain behind bars — a situation that has left many wondering how the justice system treats citizens who return home.